Water and Women

Water Facts

The weight of water that women in Asia and Africa carry on their heads is equivalent to the maximum baggage weight allowed by airlines: 44 lbs (20 kg). (WHRNET)

The average distance a woman walks in Africa to collect water is 3.75 miles (6 km), greatly reducing the time they have for other productive work, or for girls to attend school. (WHRNET)

Medical research has documented permanent damage to women's health as a result of carrying water, such as chronic fatigue, spinal and pelvic deformities, and effects on reproductive health, including spontaneous abortion. (UNHABITAT)

In some parts of Africa, women spend as much as 85% of their daily energy intake gathering water, increasing cases of anemia and other health problems. (UNHABITAT)

Enrollment rates for girls have been shown to improve by over 15% when provided with clean water and toilet facility, because girls no longer have to walk miles every day to fetch water. (UN)

Women are the primary caretakers for those who fall ill from water-related diseases, reducing their time available for education and productive economic efforts. (UNFPA)

Lack of access to sanitation for girls reaching puberty becomes a central cultural and human health issue, contributing to female illiteracy and low levels of education, and contributing to a cycle of poor health for pregnant women and their children. (UN)

Women and children bear the burdens disproportionately, often spending six hours or more each day fetching water for their families and communities. (UN) In addition, it is estimated that women and girls spend 97 billion hours each year by looking for a place to urinate or defecate, because they don't have a toilet. (WaterAid)

Every year women and girls spend 40 billion hours collecting water, equivalent to all the hours worked in a year by the entire workforce in France. (WaterAid)